Farmer Kate is a young farmer who is a generation removed from farming. After leaving the state as a child, she returned to Iowa City to farm. Kate believes in the regeneration of agriculture and communities through good food production and consumption.

As quoted in The Gazette: Kate Edwards owns Wild Woods Farm, which has been serving the Iowa City and Solon areas since 2010. Wild Woods is a community supported agriculture farm — or CSA — which is a partnership between consumers and farmers, where consumers can purchase produce directly from local farmers. Edwards was a business owner and farmer for 11 years before she had children.

“The farm was a magical place for me. Even before I had kids, I remember thinking, ‘I want to raise them on the farm,'” she said. “My pregnancies have been very taxing on my body and most of the work I do on the farm is very physical,” Edwards said. “There is no maternity leave, which is a problem across all industries [and] for people who own their own businesses, but particularly in agriculture. At this point, it’s just a caretaking thing because my body is the tool that I have for my farm,” Edwards said. “Just like I change the engine oil on my tractors, I take really good care of my body to make sure I can continue this work.” Read the full story.